Research for hearing problems performed during the first weeks of a child’s life is extremely important for proper development, according to the researchers in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
According to the data of the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention, currently 97% of people in the United States undergo such tests. newborns. Since this procedure has become the standard in the US, many more hearing impairments are detected sooner.
The obligation to test hearing in newborns has also been introduced by the Netherlands. Considering that the procedure was being implemented gradually in different regions of the country, Dr. Anna Korver of Leiden University decided to compare children born in places where testing had become the norm with children born in regions where behavioral testing was still used. carried out in the 9th month of life. Over half a million children born between 2003 and 2005 participated in the research.
Among children with diagnosed hearing impairments, it was observed that those who underwent early examination developed better both in terms of motor skills and linguistic competence by the age of 3-5 years. They also coped better in social contacts and enjoyed a greater quality of life.
Two methods are used in neonatal hearing tests. The first one is otoacoustic emission, consisting in the fact that a miniature measuring probe is inserted into the child’s ear, in which there is a loudspeaker emitting the sound and a very sensitive microphone that picks up the otoacoustic emission from the cochlea.
The second method is to test evoked auditory potential, which shows how the auditory nerves respond to sounds by recording brain activity. Both tests are safe and painless.
Scientists emphasize that the sooner hearing problems are diagnosed, the sooner appropriate treatment can be given. They note, however, that not in all cases analyzed by them, early diagnosis was accompanied by sufficiently early intervention (PAP).